Interior design students won the most awards this month at the American Society of Interior Designers Student Symposium in Dallas.

English Minter, senior interior design major from Dallas and president of ASID student chapter at ACU, won first place in the 2010/2011 ASID Texas Chapter Student Scholarships and was awarded a $2,000 scholarship. Six other ACU students won awards for the Pattern, Commercial, Hospitality and Collaborative Design categories.

“I was shocked, surprised and excited,” Minter said. “That was pretty cool.”

Jessica Lane, senior interior design from Albuquerque, N.M., and five other team members representing different schools won with a team project: creating the design for converting a shipping container into a comfortable and beautiful residence for Haitian Earthquake Refugees. Lane was awarded a book, Designing in Texas.

“I enjoyed doing this challenge because it allowed us to interact with people from different programs,” Lane said. “I liked seeing how people from Texas State or the Art Institute process their ideas compared to those of us from the ACU program. Plus, winning was pretty fun.”

The American Society of Interior Designers is a community of people driven by a common love for design who believe that interior design, as a service to people, is a powerful, multi-faceted profession that can positively change people’s lives, according to the ASID website.

The ASID Student Symposium offered over 100 students the opportunity to tour numerous showrooms and the Windspear Opera House at the AT&T Performing Arts Center. Students from Baylor University, University of North Texas, Texas State University and the Art Institute of Dallas attended the symposium.

The ASID Student Symposium takes place once a year during the fall semester, and ACU students have attended most of the last ten events. Thirteen ACU students participated this year, touring the Wyly Theatre and the Winspear Opera House in the Arts District in downtown Dallas.

Kitty Wasemiller, professor of art and design, traveled with the students to the symposium and was pleased with the experiences available to the students.

“They were able to hear many professionals explain how their careers have evolved,” Wasemiller said. “It gave them a much broader view about their career. There’s a lot to learn when you are in that environment. You were not just sitting there, but able to walk around to touch and feel. It expands students’ awareness of design.”

The ASID Student Symposium is a two-day event. Students who attended were only required to pay a $25 entry fee.

“The ACU Student Association funded us. They paid for all the hotel rooms, it was very helpful to have that support,” Wasemiller said.

Any interior design student can sign up for student membership in ASID online at www.ASID.org.